Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curls Dig out of Shotgun Trey Open Offset gives you a five man route concept built around two curl routes and a deep dig, with a checkdown flat route and a vertical clear out from the backside. The outside receiver from the trey side runs an L shaped curl to the flat side while the inline TE and slot both work curls at intermediate depth, and the far receiver runs a deep dig that settles over the middle as the backside X clears vertically to hold the safety. This is a zone beater built to attack the underneath and intermediate windows in Cover 3 and Cover 4, with the primary read being the deep dig against zone if it sits down in the honey hole, then working to the nearest curl based on the flow of linebackers.
Defensive Reads
Read the middle linebacker depth at the snap, since a shallow drop signals Cover 3 or Cover 4 and opens the window for the dig route. Watch the backside safety rotation post snap, if he stays home on the vertical clear out route it confirms single high and green lights the deep dig read. Identify user controlled defenders lurking in the intermediate zone between the curls and the dig, since a good lurk can undercut the in cut route and bait a turnover. Check corner alignment on the trey side before the snap, tight press alignment suggests man coverage and favors hot routing the curl into a quicker breaking route. Look for underneath blitz packages that vacate the middle of the field, since this concept struggles against man pressure but the curls become quick answers if the blitz forces immediate throws.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify whether the defense is showing two high or one high, because this concept thrives against single high shells where the dig can settle behind the linebackers and in front of the deep safety.
Use the vertical clear out on the backside to hold a Cover 3 corner and free up throwing lanes for the dig if the defense rotates late.
On third and medium, lean on the curl routes as your first checkdown against zone drops, then progress to the dig if the middle linebacker widens with the flow.
Pair this play with Y Stick or Stick N Nod in your play calling sequence to condition the defense to expect quick game, then hit them with the deeper dig shot off similar formation and personnel.
Against man coverage look to hot route the shallow curl into a speed out or slant to create quick separation, since the natural curl breaks can get squeezed by physical corners.
